How to travel from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL

Mon, Sep 09
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Travel Information to Chicago, IL from San Francisco, CA

distanceDistance1849 miles (2983 km)
modeAvailable travel modesBus, train or flight
priceTicket price range$110 - $130
cheapestCheapest modeBus • $110 (€95) • 60 h 40 min
fastestFastest modeFlight • $114 (€99) • 4 h 11 min
carriersPopular travel companiesGreyhound, United or Amtrak

Take a bus, train or flight to travel 1849 miles (2983 km) to Chicago, IL from San Francisco, CA. The most popular travel companies which serve this journey are Greyhound, United or Amtrak among others. Travelers can even take a direct bus, flight or train from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL.

Travel options
from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL

How to get from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation
flight

The best way to travel from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL is by taking a flight because it’s the best combination of price and speed.

American Airlines
06:00AM4h15
San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO)
12:15PMO'Hare International Airport, IL (ORD)
$2611One-way
0 transfers
Cheapest
American Airlines
06:00AM4h15
San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO)
12:15PMO'Hare International Airport, IL (ORD)
$2611One-way
0 transfers
Fastest
United
11:30PM4h08
San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO)
05:38AMO'Hare International Airport, IL (ORD)
$3081One-way
0 transfers
Other options
Amtrak
06:55AM53h44
San Francisco, CA
02:39PMUnion Station, Chicago, IL
$3361One-way
1 transfer
Amtrak
07:00AM53h42
San Francisco, CA
02:42PMUnion Station, Chicago, IL
$3521One-way
3 transfers
Amtrak
08:50PM65h55
San Francisco, CA
04:45PMUnion Station, Chicago, IL
$6071One-way
2 transfers
Greyhound
06:00AM63h00
San Francisco, CA
11:00PMChicago, IL
$2971One-way
4 transfers
Greyhound
06:30AM67h10
San Francisco, CA
03:40AMChicago, IL
$3601One-way
4 transfers
Greyhound
11:30PM68h10
San Francisco, CA
09:40PMChicago, IL
$3621One-way
3 transfers
Alaska Airlines
09:55AM4h20
San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO)
04:15PMO'Hare International Airport, IL (ORD)
$2651One-way
0 transfers
American Airlines
12:16AM4h15
San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO)
06:31AMO'Hare International Airport, IL (ORD)
$2611One-way
0 transfers
United
08:30AM4h22
San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO)
02:52PMO'Hare International Airport, IL (ORD)
$3081One-way
0 transfers

Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .

Compare prices and tickets Prices for trains, buses and flights

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Trenitalia
Easyjet
Deutsche Bahn
SNCF

All travel companies: Airlines, Train and Bus from San Francisco to Chicago

Travel on FlixBus, Amtrak and United travel from San Francisco to Chicago at great prices. Omio finds you travel times and tickets for over 1000 travel companies all in one place.

Amtrak is the main travel company in the United States operating medium and long-distance intercity services in 46 US states as well as in 3 Canadian provinces. There are over 300 Amtrak travel running daily. With Amtrak you can travel by travel across the country and explore destinations near and far with routes such as the Northeast Regional connecting cities in the East Coast, the Coast Starlight connecting destinations up and down the West Coast, the Empire Builder connecting Chicago and Midwestern cities to the Northwest, and many more. Amtrak offers different class options suiting any budget, from Coach Class to Business Class, First Class, and the Sleeper Class, where you can book a Roomette, Bedroom, and Bedroom suite among others for night travel. There are several different ticket types including Saver, Value, Flexible, Business and Premium for you to book for your next travel journey from San Francisco to Chicago.

    FlixBus is one of the most popular low-cost travel companies in Europe. Founded in Germany, FlixBus has expanded its services throughout Europe and even to the United States, giving travelers in both continents the option to take a long-distance travel at an affordable price. FlixBus also operates overnight travel on select routes throughout Europe. FlixBus offers only the Standard ticket for all its routes, which allows you to bring one carry-on bag and one checked bag per person. Additional fees apply for bringing extra luggage and making specific seat reservations, such as if you want to book an Extra Seat, Table Seat or the Panorama Seat. Standard amenities onboard include free Wi-Fi, power outlets to charge your phone, tablet or laptop during long travel journeys, extra legroom, luggage space and toilets.

      United Airlines is one of the USA’s leading airline and operates domestic and international routes. Economy, Premium Economy and Business are the ticket fares that the airline offers for your next travel to Chicago from San Francisco.

        FAQs: Travel from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL

        FAQs: Travel to Chicago, IL easily. Whether you want fast, cheap or something entirely different, our travel experts have collected everything you need to know so you can find the best option from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL.
        FAQs

        You can get between San Francisco, CA and Chicago, IL 3 different ways: bus, train or flight.

        The cheapest way to go to Chicago, IL from San Francisco, CA is by taking a bus, which costs on average $110 (€95).

        This is compared to other ways of getting from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL:

        A bus is $5 (€4) less than a flight for this trip with tickets for a flight from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL costing on average $114 (€99).

        A bus is $21 (€18) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL costing on average $130 (€113).

        The fastest way to get to Chicago, IL from San Francisco, CA is by flight with an average travel time of 4 h 11 min.

        Other travel options to Chicago, IL take longer:

        Getting to Chicago, IL by bus takes 60 h 40 min on average.

        Train takes on average 53 h 24 min.

        The distance is approximately 1849 miles (2983 km) from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL.

        The average frequency per day from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL is:

          However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your journey from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL as scheduled services by bus, train or flight can vary by season or day of the week.

          These are the most popular departure and arrival points from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL:

            The following travel companies offer services from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL:

            • Greyhound or FlixBus can get you to Chicago, IL by bus. You can find a good deal for bus tickets with FlixBus from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL for $159 (€138) on Omio.
            • United, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines or Frontier Airlines can take you to Chicago, IL by plane. If searching for a good deal on flights, you can find tickets for American Airlines from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL for $93 (€80).
            • Amtrak can get you to Chicago, IL by train. You can find a good deal for train tickets with Amtrak from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL for $129 (€111) on Omio.

            Yes, there are direct routes from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL with the following travel companies:

            • You can book a direct bus with.
            • You'll find direct flights with.
            • You can book a direct train with.

            Direct services to Chicago, IL tend to save you time and add more convenience as you won't need to transfer at another stop in between, so it's worth paying attention to before booking tickets for your route.

            Many of our customers traveling from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL don't make Chicago, IL their final stop. Some of the destinations worth visiting after Chicago, IL are Indianapolis, IN, New York, NY, Milwaukee, WI or Champaign, IL, either of which you could add to your trip itinerary. Check Omio for the best and cheapest ways to travel from Chicago, IL to any of these top destinations today!

            Most popular trains, buses and flights

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